Improvement in harvesters



W. A. KIYRBY..

4 Improvement in Harvesters. No.128,402. Pztentod.lune25,I872.

In. F/IUTO-L/f/IOGHIPil/C to. M). (VSEOIME'S M00555) UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

WILLIAM A. KIRBY, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND DAVID M. OSBORNE, OF SAME PLACE,

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No..128,402, dated June 25, 1872.

of a harvesting-machine and rake as will illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 represents in perspective and detached from the machine portions of the raising and lowering mechanism. Fig. 3 represents a section through a portion of the driving-gears and their bearings. Fig. 4 represents a top plan of the rake-wheel and plate underneath it 5 and Fig. 5 represents a vertical section through the rake-wheel, plate, hub, catch, and contiguous parts. Fig. 6 represents a section through one of the guards, finger-bar, cutting apparatus, raising-rod, and its cover, and a portion of the platform.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like parts of the machine in all of the drawings.

My invention consists, first, in the combination of a long bearing on the frame to support the gears, with a segment for supporting the drive-wheel and the hinged tongue, as will be hereinafter described. My invention further consists in a raising mechanism, consisting essentially of two levers-one to raise and lower, and the other to adjust with-in combination with a link and stop that will allow the cutting apparatus to rise of itself, after it has been adjusted at any desired height at which it is to work. My invention further consists in the combination of the dogs on the shafts of the rakes, the open space in the un-' der plate-wheel for the tail-pieces of the rakes to drop into, and the loose hub to change and hold the arms to make them rakes or reels, as desired. My invention further consists in the devices for making the seat for the driver or operator adjustable. My invention further consists in the arrangement by which the rakes and the cutting apparatus rise and fall together when the lever is used.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

The main frame A of the machine is cast in one or more pieces, and in suitable bearings thereon a shaft, B, is placed and driven, from which shaft motion is communicated to the cutters O, and to the rake-wheel D, and through the latter to the rakes E or beaters, whichever they may for the time being be. Upon a portion of the frame A, as seen in Fig. 3, there is a long bearing, a a, or sleeve, through which the main driving-shaft B passes, and in which it turns; and upon this long bearing a the arm or segment F is placed, and can turn around as a center, when necessary, and the hub of this arm or segment is held onto its bearing by a flange, b, on said hub, taking into a recess, 0, on or in the main frame. In the end of the arm or segment F, or upper portion thereof, is fixed the journal or axle 2, upon which the main driving and carrying wheel G is placed and turns, said main wheel having an internal gear that works into and turns the pinion 61 fast on the end of the shaft B, and through said shaftoperates the cutters and rakes. The pinion d is outside of the long bearing a at one of its ends, and at its other end, and loose upon the shaft B, is a bevelgear wheel, e, that works into the bevel-pinion on the end of the crank-wheel shaft which drives the cutters. Connected with the bevelgear e there is a pinion, from which, or from any other moving part of the machine, the rakes or beaters may be'driven; and next to the pinion f there is a spring clutch, g, which connects the gear-wheels e f with the main shaft when the machine is moving forward, and frees them when the machine is backed. On the main frame there is placed, in bearings in which it can turn, a shaft, H, (see Fig. 2,) to one end of which is fasteneda lever, I, that extends up to near the drivers seat, and there is connected with this lever I a small bell-crank lever, h, to the short arm of which a rod, '5, is attached, the lower endof said rod being attached to a pawl-head, j, that slides upon the lever I, and works in connection with V a notched are, k, fastened to the main frame. The lever I at or near its lowervend hasa branched arm, K, that is linked to the head of the segmental arm F by a slotted link, Z through the slot in which the pin m that connects it to the branched arm K can freely move when necessary to do so. To the opposite end of the shaft H from that occupied by the lever I there is a crank-arm, L, to which a connecting bar, M, is attached, the other end of said bar M being similarly attached to another crank-arin, N, on the end of the raising rod 0, which, extending along the finger-bar clear to the outside of the divider P, has there upon it a crankarm, Q, which carries the outside carrying and raising wheel R, and through this mechanism the cutting apparatus and platform can be raised and lowered, or carried at any suitable height above the ground; and while the cutting apparatus and platform are thus regulated in relation to the height, below which they cannot go, yet by means of the slotted link-connection 1, they can of themselves, or by the act of the operator, rise above that line, when, from any cause, itbecomes necessary. To the tongue S, which is hinged to the main frame at a, there is attached a lever, T, which extends rearward, so that it can be operated by the driver in his seat. On this lever there is a loop, 12, which takes in a perforated are, 0, which is secured to the main frame; and there is also on the lever a levercatch, q, which holds the lever T to the are 0, and by which the points of the guards may be inclined more or less in relation to the ground. A clutch-lever, "r, is also arranged near to the driver, so that by his foot he may throw out or let in the clutch g at pleasure. From the head of the segmental arm F, to which it is hooked at one of its ends, there extends a seat-supporter, s, which extends up and over the drive-wheel G thence down, and its outer end is hooked to a two-armed plate, t, on the point of the journal 2, whereon it can turn. A foot-supporter, u, is arranged to operate in connection with the plate t and the seat-supporter s, which foot-supporter is adjustable, so that the driver may use it as a lever to aid in raising up the main frame and its connected parts. The drivers seat J is upon the rear end of a lever, U, the front end of which is pivoted at a; to an adjustable support, working in a slot in the post V, set on the tongue-plate W, so that said lever U crosses the joint between the tongue, tongue plate, and main frame, it being connected to the bow-shaped supporter s by a loop, w, that makes a hinged connection there. The lever U has also a horizontal joint at .r, by which the weight or position of the driver can be changed to either side of or in line with the main wheel, as he may prefer, or the working or balancing of the machine may require. By this arrangement of lever-seat, and the several appliances and connections hereinabove described, the driver can at pleasure by his weight, and by his leg or legs to aid him, raise up the main frame and. cutting apparatus to pass obstructions. The fin ger-bar 3 Fig. 6, in its cross-section is of an S-form, or with its horizontal edges in different planes and a reversed curvature between them. This form of, fin ger-bar is for the purpose of, first, receiving the platform, which is bolted to it; second, for leaving a space in front of the platform for the lifting-rod O to lie and roll or work in 5 third, to receive and hold the guards z; fourth, to receive and hold a thin plate cover, 3, that extends therefrom over onto the platform, to bridge over the curved space and protect the lifting-rod; and, finally, to pass the out material over the said finger without forcing it over any eminence that might tend to retain it. p

The outside wheel B can be arranged on either side of the arm Q. It is shown on the inside of it in the drawings; but when fitted for reaping, the wheel is preferably placed on the outside of the arm, so as to make room for.

the platform and when the machine is arranged for mowing, and the platform is off, then the wheel is better on the inside of the arm, as shown in the drawings.

Upon a base or support, X, arranged and somewhat elevated upon the main frame is arranged an axis, 4, upon which is placed, first, the hub 5 of the rake-driving wheel D, and over the hub of this wheel is placed the hub 6 of a plate-wheel, Y, that is under the drive-wheel D, and a portion of which platewheel, extending from 7 to 7, as in Fig. 4, is cut away topermit the tail-piece 19 of either one of the arms that is to act for the time being as a rake to drop into and prevent that one from rolling upon its shank or hearing, in which event it would be a beater and not a rake. To the plate-wheel Y there is pivoted a catch, 9, which, when uncontrolled, locks the two hubs 5 and 6 together by its nose 10 projecting through the outer hub, and into one of a series of holes, 11, in the inner hub,

or one hole for every arm, rake, or beater E.'

Upon the catch 9 there is a projection, 12, which, when a trigger-lever, 13, is moved into the path of rotation of said catch, will take against said trigger-lever, and by which it is drawn out so as to break the connection between the two hubs and allow the one, 6, to remain stationary, while the other, 5, with its wheel D and the heaters continue their circuit. And so long as this catch remains withdrawn so long will all the arms act as beaters; but when the foot is removed from the lever 13, and the catch thereby released, the latter will drop, and its nose 10 will take into the first one of the holes 11 in the hub 5 that comes opposite to it, which locates the cutaway portion 7 of the plate-wheel definitely in relation to one of the arms E, and causes that arm to work as a rake, while all the others act as beaters. All the arms E have curved shanks Z, which terminate in sleeves or bosses, 14,

. that slide over a journal, 15, at right angles,

or nearly so, to the shafts 16, which hold said arms in pairs, and in such manner that when one is down its mate or fellow is up, and vice versa. Upon these bosses or hubs 14 there is a curved piece, 17, and upon the cross-shafts 16, and near each rake-hub thereon there is a curved dog, 18, with a tail-piece, 19, on each dog, which, bearing upon the rim of the platewheel, keeps said dogs in looking position in connection with the hub that they act with by frictional contact; and until the one that is to act as a rake comes around with the open space 7 arranged for it, and then that rake, instead of turning on, turns with its shaft 16, the

' curved dogs 17 18 not slipping by each other.

, 17 that moves with the rake strikes the piece 19 of the hub with which it acts, causing the rake to roll in a direction contrary to its regular circuit, and prepares it for a beater by throwing its back toward the grain.

The cam-way 20 is made adjustable, as seen at 21, to regulate the height at which the heaters shall move over the platform; and after the rake and beaters have passed beyond the platform, they are raised up into a vertical or nearly vertical position to pass the driver without incomlnodin g him in his seat.

The loose hubs on the rakeshafts 16, which carry the curved dog 18 and the tail-piece 19, have also upon them a projection, 22, which bears upon the spokes 23 of the wheel D, and thus holds themin that direction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, substantially as herein described, of the long bearing a a on the main frame for supporting the gear-shaft, the segment F for supporting the drive-wheel G, and the tongue hinged to the main frame and adapted to be locked thereto by its adjustinglever, so that, in raising or lowering the cutting apparatus and platform attached to said main frame, they shall move about the point of the pole as a center, and the drive-wheel move around the gear-shaft as a center of motion, and thus practically maintain said cutting apparatus and platform in horizontal planes.

2. I also claim a raising mechanism, consisting essentially of two levers, T L, one to raise and lower, and the other to adjust with, in combination with a link and stop that will allow the cutting apparatus to raise above the height at which it is adjusted to work, should any necessity arise for so doing, substantially as described.

3. I also claim the combination of the dogs on the rake-shafts, the open space in the under plate-wheel for the tail-pieces of the rakes to drop into, and the loose hub to change and hold the arms to make them rakes or boaters,

as desired, and substantially as described.

4. I also claim a drivers seat adjustable in height at its front, and supported on a rising and falling yoke, s, at or near its center, and adjustable laterally at x at its rear, and acting as a lever in connection with the weight of the driver, as set forth.

5. I also claim the combination, substantially as described, of the lever I, crank K, slotted link I, and stop j, for raising, lowering, and holding the inner end of the frame to which the cutting apparatus is attached.

.VVM. A. KIRBY.

WVitnesses A. B. STOUGHTON, EDMUND 1\/IASSON. 

